Competition (Ghost Adventures)
by Lastweekon
Summary: Nick bulked up in between seasons and Zak is taking notice. Nick's not sure if he's jealous, threatened or something else...
Nick smiled to himself smugly. He could feel Zak's eyes burning into his back as he picked up two massive free weights. If he was being honest, they were a bit heavier than the ones he usually used. But today he had an audience, so he put on a show. He caught a glimpse of Zak in the mirror. He hadn't stopped studying Nick since he took off his baggy sweatshirt, revealing a whole lot of new muscle mass. Nick had spent the hiatus getting in shape and had put on a bit of weight. He didn't realize how noticeable it was until he saw the look on Zak's face. They hadn't worked out together in a while, and Nick's every day clothes were usually pretty baggy, probably hiding his new gains. He curled the weights, trying hard not to smile as he let Zak compose himself. After a couple of moments, Zak must have realized he was staring. Nick saw a slow pink creep up his neck, making its way to his cheeks.

"Nick, wow." he said, swallowing hard. "You look… good."

"Thanks, man." Nick said. "Just trying to get back into the habit, you know?"

"Yeah. Well, it shows." Zak said, eyes flicking over Nick's biceps as he continued to curl his weights. Nick did not mind this attention one bit. Zak's intense stare had his heart racing and he definitely thought he could get used to this. "You must have gained 15-20…"

"30 lbs, actually." Nick corrected him.

"And it's all muscle." Zak said. And it wasn't a question, it was a statement. Now Nick felt like he might start blushing. Zak had never studied him for so long before and his heated gaze was almost more than the younger man could handle. Almost.

"Yeah, well…" Nick started, not really sure what he was going to say. But he knew if he didn't start talking soon he might melt under Zak's scrutiny. "I was getting pretty thin." He finished awkwardly.

"Not anymore." Zak said matter-of-factly, grabbing a set of weights. Nick couldn't help but notice that Zak had gone for a set of weights a few pounds heavier than the ones he currently held. He smiled to himself, fighting the urge to roll his eyes. Zak could be so damn competitive.

"You gotta keep me honest about the workouts when we're filming." Nick said. "Last season I let the stress get to me. We were so busy and I got lazy."

"Yeah, I can whip your ass into shape." Zak said with a cheeky grin.

"I don't know...I think I've already got that covered." Nick asserted. He shot Zak a cocky - and, okay, maybe a _little_ flirty - look. "I just need you to help me stay motivated." Something about the attention Zak had given him had him feeling bold. Nick put down the weights, purposely picking up a slightly larger set than the ones Zak held. He began a set of tricep presses, practically feeling steam rise off Zak's body at the challenge.

"Ok, you want me to keep you motivated?" Zak asked. Nick could hear how he worked to keep his voice even. He knew Zak was trying to hide the fact that he was jealous or feeling threatened or… he wasn't totally sure _what_ it was, but the rush of it was definitely intriguing.

"Yeah." Nick said, feeling a slight husk in his voice. He cleared his throat quickly so as not to give himself away. "That would be great."

"Okay then. This is probably not the most productive way to spend our time then." Zak said.

"What do you propose we do?" Nick asked, letting his mind run wild with other ways they might spend their time if it was up to him.

"I think we should focus on bench presses. We need to get you under the bar." Zak said, a hint of a threat in his voice. Nick never imagined being the object of this level of testosterone-fueled envy, but he'd be lying if he said it wasn't doing things to him. He hadn't planned to make Zak jealous, but apparently he'd underestimated the older man's need to be the alpha male of the group.

"Okay." Nick agreed. "Lead the way." Zak made his way toward an open bench, gesturing for Nick to lay down.

"How much do you want to start with." Zak asked.

"I'll do whatever you're doing." Nick said, cooly. He laid back as Zak loaded the bar. It seemed like more weight than he could handle, but he wasn't going to give Zak the satisfaction of saying so. Zak locked eyes with him as he clipped the weight into place. Nick knew the older man was testing him and he returned the look with a defiant smirk.

"Okay, let's see what you got." Zak dared. Nick grabbed the bar, getting a nice, wide grip on it before bringing it down slowly to hover over his chest. That was the easy part, it's getting it back up that would be the challenge. He exhaled sharply through his teeth, pushing the weight up as Zak's fingers hovered just under the bar in case the younger man needed assistance. Nick pushed through the first few reps, eager to make it through all 10. His arms began to shake around the 6th, but he willed himself to go on. He glanced up toward Zak, finding the older man staring back at him intensely. His eyes seemed to glaze over as he watched Nick's body shake with effort. Nick swallowed hard, feeling a distinct stirring in his body at being watched so closely. Zak's hands that had been guiding the weighted bar now sat in place at his sides as he watched. Nick felt his arms about to give out as he attempted to lift the weight one last time.

"Zak!" He called as his arms buckled. Zak snapped back to attention, quickly grabbing onto the bar to relieve the weight.

"Woah...I gotcha, Nick." he said, helping guide the bar back into the rack. "How many was that?" He asked, daze lifting.

"Nine and a half... and a nearly crushed sternum." Nick laughed.

"Yeah, sorry about that. I spaced out for a second." Zak explained.

"No worries." Nick said, casually. But his heart was still racing as he stood up to stretch. He felt Zak's eyes still dragging over him. "Your turn, I guess." He said, moving to switch positions with Zak. He watched the older man carefully as he lay back on the bench. His mind was clearly somewhere else as he settled in, grabbing onto the bar and carefully lowering it. The effort was immediately clear on his face. But Zak was not one to give up without a fight. He grunted and hissed through each rep, his face growing red with effort. Nick watched hungrily as sweat began to glisten across Zak's forehead. His muscles flexed and shook, his pelvis lifting off the bench as the final reps tore through him.

"Ten." Zak said, breathlessly. Nick stood frozen, unable to take his eyes off Zak's heaving form. He felt his own breath sync with Zak's as the older man lifted the bar, cradling it safely in the rack. He'd always enjoyed watching Zak work out, as creepy as that may sound. He had a beautiful body and Nick had studied the curves of it closely whenever he thought he could get away with it. But now he stared openly, not caring whether Zak took notice. He drank in the swell of his chest and the way his shirt hugged his arms just so. Every cell in his body ached to reach out and touch the curves he had memorized, to finally see how they felt against his skin… He swallowed thickly, daring to look at Zak's face. Hoping he was looking back. And he was. Nick felt heat rise to his cheeks, but it wasn't embarrassment, it was something else completely. The way Zak's eyes locked in on his was captivating. Zak had given Nick looks in the past, looks that Nick didn't understand and couldn't explain. Looks that sent his heart into overdrive. But this look...this one was different. This look felt like a challenge. And the intensity of it ignited a fire in the pit of his stomach and he knew there was only one way to extinguish it. But even as he stood there, eyes locked, heart thrumming, fire spreading, his heart sank at the realization that he didn't have the nerve. He knew he couldn't make a move. Not when there was so much at risk. If he was going to put his friendship on the line, he needed more than a look. He needed to be sure. Regretfully, he looked away, breaking eye contact with the older man. His blood lowering to a simmer as he collected himself. He itched to sneak another glance, to see if he could read disappointment in Zak's eyes. But he worried about what he might find instead - relief, confusion, satisfaction... He knew he couldn't handle that. Being rejected by Zak would break him. So until he was absolutely sure, he would have to resign himself to stolen glances. He took a deep breath, readying himself.

"So, what's next?" He asked, pleased to find he sounded almost normal despite the flames still licking at his insides.

"Now we see if you can handle another set." Zak said with a sly grin. And Nick wasn't sure if he could, but he was damn sure willing to try.


End file.
